New Jersey has been approved for nearly $180 million through the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Project Fund, a component of the American Rescue Plan designed to provide funding for enhancing quality of life, economic vitality, and resilience of communities across the country.
“This funding will help strengthen infrastructure and improve access to essential services, and in many instances it will be a game-changer that has a lasting impact on communities across our state” said Governor Phil Murphy.
Here’s a breakdown of where the funding is going.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has been approved for $50 million to create and administer the New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity program, which will connect areas with limited or no access to reliable broadband internet.
NJ TRANSIT’s Connected Bus program will receive $15 million to address inequities in internet access by providing free high-speed Wi-Fi onboard public buses.
A new Union City Community School has been approved for $50 million to support construction that will allow for the education of 827 students in grades seven through nine while also functioning as a multi-purpose community facility.
$25 million has been approved for construction of the new Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (MIHIC) in Trenton. The Capital Project Fund will complement additional federal and State funding allocated for this project.
More than $30 million has been approved for the State Library’s Building Community Resilience project that will address disparities in access to education, jobs, and health monitoring by investing in capital improvements at community facilities.
North Jersey Community Research Initiative, a community-based organization for HIV/AIDS services and behavioral and medical services for the LGBTQIA+ community, will receive $6.6 million for an extension of its homeless drop-in center – Crossroads – into a multi-purpose community facility space located in downtown Newark.
An additional $5 million allocated to New Jersey will go to other projects that address the digital divide by providing the public with easier access to devices and the internet at public-facing state agencies.